


The Reason She Hadn't Slept

by livy_bear



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, jily au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 06:23:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3346811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livy_bear/pseuds/livy_bear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily is a nurse and James is a patient at the hospital in which she works.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Influenza

_Influenza-_ the reason Lily hadn’t slept in 24 hours straight. Bloody brilliant, influenza. 

She was in the on-call room of St. Jude’s, finally getting ready for some sleep when her pager went off. Had she mentioned how  _fucking brill_  the flu was this year? She yanked her hair back, and readjusted her stethoscope. Looked like it was going to be another hour before sleeping.

Down the hallway.

Dodge the old man pissing himself that shouldn’t have been out of bed.

Ignore Mary shouting at her about shift switching.

Orderlies throwing paper balls into the bin.

Finally the patient’s room. Who was it? The clipboard that sat just outside the door was missing, meaning there was already a doctor in there. Absolutely fucking wonderful. You know, Lily really wondered about the doctors at this hospital. Paging her on her break, but probably not needing her at all. She pushed through the door, rant ready, when she saw an empty room. Well, not empty, but void of a doctor. Then where was the—?

Oh. The chart was on the edge of the bed. She huffed, stomping over to grab it and figure out what was wrong. “Did you push the nurse’s button Mr…” She flipped through the chart. “Potter?”

"Yeah,"

"Are you in need of assistance?" Without lifting her eyes from the chart, she read over it. Drunken bar fight. Quoted saying ‘the other guy is worse’. Noted: the other guy was worse. Lily cracked a grin.

"Well first I was just going to ask if I’m allowed to use the bathroom, but now I’m pretty sure I need your number."

"Excuse me?" Lily’s eyes lifted up for the first time. She blinked, taking in the good looking man lounging before her. He had messy black hair that stuck up at odd angles, though she wasn’t sure if that was from the bed or just natural. His eyes were hazel and sat behind rectangle glasses that suited him nicely. His bottom lip was swollen, and there were stitches just along his hairline on the right side. He had an arm tucked behind his head, and he was grinning. Mouth pulling up just slightly more on the right side, Lily found herself marveling at the dimple that formed just above. _Really fit_ …

"Your number, love." His smile grew just slightly. "Whenever I see a pretty girl I just have to ask."

"You don’t need my number then, if you’ve got so many." Lily found herself blushing, though it was completely unprofessional. Another glance at his chart, twenty four. He was her age. He was her ruddy age.

"You’d think so," Something in his tone made her look up. His smile had faded just slightly, but he was still looking at her just as intensely. 

"Mr. Potter—"

"James,"

"Mr. Potter," She continued with a huff, some of the old sleep deprived annoyance creeping back into her voice. "Do you have a real medical problem I can help you with?"

"Yes," James said. "I think my heart stopped when you walked in."

Despite it all, she laughed. “I’m going to leave now Mr. Potter.”

"No, don’t." He grinned.

"Goodbye," Lily rolled her eyes, walking out to loud protests. She stopped at the nurses’ station just outside the room, face still burning. A nurse with long blonde hair glanced up at her arrival, grinning in amusement.

"Wotcher, Lil."

“‘Lo, Marlene.” Lily ran a hand through her hair, pulling a few strands free from the bun, and handed the chart to Marlene. “Flirty, that one.” She gestured with her thumb to the room she’d just exited.

"Not really." She shrugged, filing the chart properly. Turning back to Lily, she leaned forward on the counter along the station.

"What do you mean?"

"He’s actually pretty quiet when I’m in there." Marlene shrugged. "Why? What’d he do to you?"

"Nothing." 

"You’re as red as a tomato."

"It’s warm."

"It’s 20 degrees."

"I think I forgot something in the room…"

"Like a snog." Marlene laughed.

"Shut it, McKinnon." She called over her shoulder, reentering James Potter’s room.

His voice reached from his bed, ‘round the corner to where Lily was standing. “Whoever it is, I don’t want you unless you’re the pretty nurse.”

"My name is Lily." Lily stepped into his line of sight, hanging around the edge of the bed.

"Hi, Lily." He smiled. 

She had to swallow a couple of times before being able to get any words out. “You were in a bar fight?” And with that, she sat at his bedside, ignoring how bloody tired she was. He told her all about the day, and she laughed upon hearing how he’d accidentally pissed off an entire university’s football team. He talked about how him and his three mates were up against thirty something guys. He lifted his broken arm like a trophy. 

_Really fit,_ she thought for the second time.

"And now I’m in here and my mates are off in another room somewhere." James shrugged. "Don’t mind much because I’ve got a pretty nurse."

Lily blushed again. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

"Well I’m not. I’m hurt, right here." He pointed to his lip. "And  _someone’s_ got to kiss it better.”

"You think I will?" She snorted.

"Well I physically can’t." He grinned playfully.

Oh it was one kiss, what was the damage, really? Besides she was technically done with her shift anyway… And she  _really_  wanted to kiss him. With a sigh, she propped her arm against his bed and leaned forward. He sat patiently, but as soon as her lips touched his, she knew this wasn’t going to be a touch and go sort of thing. Slowly they started moving together, and her hand came to rest on the base of his neck. His good one, threading through her hair. She got lost in the overwhelming sense of him.

It could have gone on like that, probably farther too, if someone hadn’t cleared their throat loudly. Lily jumped around to see Marlene standing at the edge of the bed, grinning like a madwoman. God help her. As Lily took the walk of shame past her, Marlene sent her a look that said “we’re talking about this later.” Of course they were. What were best friends for anyway. 

"See you tomorrow, Lily." James shouted at her back. 

She turned slowly around to match his gaze and smile. “Night, James.”  _James Potter._

Saying he was her new favorite patient would be appropriate.


	2. Literally Any Illness

Sometimes Lily really bloody hated the media. They made such a huge deal about the smallest outbreak of literally  _any_  illness that suddenly the entire ER was flooded with finicky mothers who were convinced their child was dying. This one had a tumor, that one had bird flu, the one in the blue jacket had chicken pox, and they were all demanding to be seen immediately.

It was exhausting and ridiculous. Lily was just glad to finally be off her shift. She had her entire evening planned out. First, she was going to get some hot chocolate from the cafe near the hospital. Next, she was going to go home, put on her sweats, and watch whatever caught her fancy on the telly. Finally, she would take a bubble bath before falling asleep early, and thanking god she didn’t have work the next day.

The odd busyness of the cafe should have be Lily’s first warning.

Usually at seven, the place was near to completely deserted. But apparently there was something abnormal about that Tuesday night. There was a long line leading up to the register, and she just happened to be standing behind four obnoxious men acting like they were still in college.

She huffed indignantly, checking her watch to see if she would even be able to have that bubble bath. Every order would take around three minutes, and there were about three people ahead of her. Unless all four of the boys in front of her wanted something, then it was more like seven people, so… nearly half an hour. Bloody hell.

"Lily?"

Lily’s head snapped up at the sound of her name. She met the eyes of one of the four men in front of her. ”James?”

He looked the same as he had nearly a year ago in the hospital. His hair was shorter now, but not by much, and it still stuck up in every which way. His arm wasn’t in a cast anymore, and he wasn’t wearing the hideous hospital gown; so Lily could properly ogle the only patient she’d ever snogged. He was just as fit as she remembered. 

"Fancy seeing you here," His friends were looking back and forth between them.

"You as well, Potter." Lily grinned. “You’re not about to get into another brawl, are you?”

"Ah, you caught me," James put his hands up. Lily laughed. One of James’ mates cleared his throat.

"Oh right," He seemed to remember their presence. "Lily these are the lads. Lads this is Lily, my nurse back after those footballers broke my arm in March."

"Oh,  _she’s_  the nurse?” The shortest one asked.

"Well done, she’s fit." The one with long black hair grinned.

"Thank you?" Lily raised an eyebrow at James.

"Ignore Sirius," James said, flushed bright red. "He’s a git."

"Noted," She nodded.

"Oi!"

"Did you just get off your shift?" James gestured to her scrubs.

"Finally," Lily shook her head. "Do you know how bloody infuriating it is to deal with parents who think they can out diagnose you because they were watching some bloody medical drama the night before? ‘No, it’s not just a cough, it’s bronchitis,’ like, listen lady, I’m a professional. You’re a forty-something football mum with a much too high regard of herself."

"Long day, then?"

"The longest,"

“If you two are going to have eye-sex,” Interrupted the one with sandy brown hair. “Could you not do it where others might be sick?” The other boys snickered, and James seemed like he was trying to ignore them, looking determinedly at Lily.

"Uh," James ruffled hair, turning pink. "Do you want to maybe get some coffee?"

"We’re in a coffee shop," Lily raised an eyebrow, watching as the pink turned to dark red.

"I mean another time."

"Sure."


End file.
